1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an image processing technique, and particularly relates to an image processing apparatus, such as a Multi-Function Peripheral (MFP), a method of controlling an image processing apparatus, an image recognition method, an image forming apparatus, an information processing apparatus, and a data processing method for controlling screen display according to properties of an image to be processed.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, along with advance in technology for hardware such as semiconductors and computers as well as in optical technology, image processing apparatuses using electrophotography have become able to offer many functions. The image processing apparatuses process not only binary images but also full-color halftone images. In many cases, users perform different operations, such as an operation using an OCR system, full-color copying, and monochrome copying, depending on the type of images, such as binary images and full-color images.
Generally, a user touches a touch panel display provided on the front side of an image processing apparatus so as to display an operation screen for an operation that the user wants to perform on a document, and inputs a command to the image processing apparatus by selecting the operation. The user can select the operation because the user knows properties of the document to be processed and knows which operation is suitable for the document. In other words, when the user uses the image processing apparatus, the user determines whether the document is a binary image such as text or a full-color image such as a halftone image, with or without being aware, so as to select a suitable operation.
Recent image processing apparatuses comprise nonvolatile memories and hard disks and can serve as information processing apparatuses. With such image processing apparatuses, users can perform read-out operations, printing operations, and sending operations by facsimile or by mail on document data items saved in the apparatuses as necessary. If a user wants to process a document data item that the user has saved in an image processing apparatus in the past but does not remember properties of the document data item, the user refers to a hard copy of the corresponding document or displays the document data item on a display of the image processing apparatus, checks all the pages of the document if the document has multiple pages, and thus determines a suitable operation. As a result, the amount of time that the user uses the image processing apparatus is increased. That is, providing large-capacity memories with image processing apparatuses may actually lower working efficiency of the image processing apparatuses.
If the image processing apparatuses can automatically determine image properties of documents to be processed and display suitable operation options to users, the frequency of the users determining image properties of documents and making operating errors may be reduced. Moreover, as working efficiency of the image processing apparatuses is increased, usability of the image processing apparatuses can be improved.
If the image processing apparatus can prompt users to select suitable operations based on properties of documents to be processed, the users do not need to determine which operations are suitable based on the type of documents, such as monochrome binary images and full-color images, and can easily perform operations on the documents with less burden.
If selection of operations to be performed on document data saved in an image processing apparatus can be controlled from an information processing apparatus based on properties of the saved document data, usability of the document data saved in the image processing apparatus and working efficiency of the image processing apparatus can be improved, thereby reducing the burden on users.
There have been disclosed techniques related to the image processing apparatuses, such as a technique for varying control depending on properties of images to be printed, a technique for enabling remote control from a remote server by reproducing an operations section of an image processing apparatus, and a technique for user authentication using password or the like. For example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-101870 (Patent Document 1) discloses a technique for controlling output of an image processing apparatus depending on image properties. The image processing apparatus comprises an area dividing unit for dividing an area of an image of a page to be printed into plural areas, and applying different saving rates of coloring agent to different areas.
The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is for controlling the image processing apparatus depending on properties of a page to be printed, but is not for efficiently providing a user interface based on properties of a page to be printed.
Japanese Patent Laid-open publication No. 2003-271336 (Patent Document 2) discloses a technique for remotely controlling an image processing apparatus from a remote server using a user interface displayed on the server. According to Patent Document 2, the server is connected to the image processing apparatus via a network. The server comprises an emulation unit that receives an intermediate code program from the image processing apparatus so as to reproduce a user interface of the image processing apparatus on an operations section of the server. In response to an input from the user interface reproduced in the operations section of the server, a selected image stored in the server is transmitted to the image processing.
The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is for causing the server to receive the intermediate code program from the image processing apparatus and display the user interface of the image processing apparatus reproduced by the emulation unit in order to cause the image processing apparatus to print document data stored in the remote server, but does not relates to a technique for controlling the user interface depending on properties of the document data.
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2004-171237 (Patent Document 3) discloses an image processing apparatus that controls access to a storage unit using passwords. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique for providing different user interfaces depending on results of password authentication, but does not disclose a technique for providing different user interfaces for different valid passwords and for documents having different properties so as to guide users to execute suitable operations.
As described above, a method for controlling printing operations of an image processing apparatus based on image properties and a method for causing a server to reproduce a user interface of an image processing apparatus so as to cause the image processing apparatus to print a document stored in the server have been disclosed. Meanwhile, there has been and continues to be a demand for image processing apparatuses, image recognition methods, image forming apparatuses, information processing apparatuses, data processing methods, and methods of controlling image processing apparatuses that can improve usability of image processing apparatuses by controlling user interfaces based on properties of images to be processed and user identifiers.
There has also been and continues to be a demand for image processing apparatuses, methods of controlling image processing apparatuses, image recognition methods, image forming apparatuses, information processing apparatuses, and data processing methods that can improve usability of image processing apparatuses equipped with large-capacity storage units, such as hard disks, EPROMs, and EEPROMs, by providing user interfaces that efficiently guide users to perform operations based on properties of documents acquired by the image processing apparatuses.